Bag opening device



Oct. 18, 1955 P, CQFFMAN, JR 2,720,698

BAG OPENING DEVICE Filed July 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

BY .Coffman,Jr. fiwZM/WMZW ATTORNEYS 1955 P. A. COFFMAN, JR 2,720,698

BAG OPENING DEVICE Filed July 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 2,720,698 Patented Oct. 18, 1955BAG OPENING DEVICE Paul A. Collman, Jr., Cranston, R. I., assignor, bymesne assignments, to BIF Industries, Inc., a corporation of RhodeIsland Application July 28, 1951, Serial No. 239,167

12 Claims. (Cl. 30-296) This invention relates to a bag opening deviceof the type used for opening bags of powdered material or bagscontaining lump material which may be discharged readily from the bagwhen the bag is slit andthe slit opening is turned downwardly.

Where a bag must be slit with a hand implement to open the same, itrequires extra handling by the one who handles the instrument. Further,it is usual for the slitting to occur at a point spaced from where thebag is to be discharged and then the bag must be picked up while open,turned over and discharged. This is all time consuming and is frequentlya messy operation.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device onto whichthe bag may be dropped while holding the ends of the bag to cause thebag to be slit across at substantially its mid point so that it may bedischarged through the center of the bag without removing the hands fromthe ends of the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slitting device whichwill be strong and durable and will withstand the dropping of bags uponit.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide fins whichwill guide the slitting along the direction desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows a part of a loading device broken away to show myinvention in place;

Figure 2 is a side view of the device;

Figure 3 is an end view of the device;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 5 is an elevation indicating the bag which is to be opened;

Figure 6 is a similar view of a bag after it has been slit by theopening device; and

Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are plan views similar to Figure 4 butshowing different modified shapes of bag opening device.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide an upstanding memberpointed at its top from opposite sides of which there radiate fins ofblade-like structure. The member is provided with a sufiiciently sharppoint so that when a bag is dropped upon it, it will puncture the bagand the fins will act like blades to further slit the bag in a desireddirection, usually across the bag, so that the ends of the bag may begrasped and lifted to discharge the material at the pyramid where it ispunctured so that the material may drop through a screen into thelocation desired.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates generally a compartmentprovided with a screen 11 over the hopper or mouth into which thecontents of a bag is to be discharged. A motor 12 driving a blower 13may serve to exhaust any dust which may be located in the compartment10.

The device which is the subject of this invention may be in severalforms. In Figures 14 it is designated generally 14 and is positionedupon the screen 11 so that a man may walk into this compartment 10 onthe screen 11 and drop a bag onto the device 14 so as to open it. Thebag which is to be handled is designated generally 15 and a man maygrasp one end 16 in one hand and another end 17 in the other hand andwhile still holding these ends may drop the same upon the device 14 torupture and open the bag, such as shown at 18 in Figure 6. The devicewhich I have utilized is formed of metal and is in the shape of apyramid designated generally 19 having equal sides 20 extending upwardlyfrom a base 21 to form a sharp point 22. The stock is carried inwardlyto provide a base 23, from which arms 24 extend downwardly forattachment to the screen 11 by bending these arms or otherwise fasteningthem to the rods of the screen.

Corners of the pyramid are designated 25 and from opposite corners 26there are provided fins 27 which are of generally triangular shapehaving a long side 28, a base 29 extending to a point 30. These fins areof blade-like form and after a bag is dropped upon the point 22 torupture the bag, these fins serve to further slit the bag along a guideddirection so that if the bag, as shown at 15 in Figure 5, is held sothat the fins extend along the line laterally or across the bag and thebag is then dropped upon the point 22 with this line in the plane of thefins, then the bag will be ruptured laterally across it so that a manholding the ends 16 and 17 may merely swing these ends up about theunbroken opposite side of the bag so that the contents will bedischarged along the surface of the pyramid sides 20 to slide alongthese sides down through the screen 11 into the location desired. Anydust which may rise from the contents of the bag will be sucked out bythe blower 13.

Various modified forms of an opening device may be provided, which Ihave illustrated in Figures 7 to 11, inclusive. In Figure 9 a pyramid isused as in Figures 1 to 4, in which there are four equal sides 31 comingto a point 32. Fins 33, howevenare formed to radiate from the middle ofopposite sides rather than from the corners, as shown in Figures 1 to 4.In Figure 10 I have shown six sides 34 coming to a point 35 with fins 36extending from two opposite sides in a manner similar to that shown inFigure 9.

In Figure 11 I have provided three sides 37 coming to a point 38 withfins 39 radiating from the corners formed by the junction of the sides37 and in this case three of these fins are provided to direct theopening in three directions rather than directly across the bag asheretofore.

In some cases instead of providing flat sides, the member may be conicalshaped as at 40 having a point 41 with opposite fins 42 radiating fromthe central axis in opposite directions therefrom.

In Figure 8 I have illustrated a member made up entirely of sheet stock,there being two members 43 and 44 in substantially crossing relationcoming to a point 45 at the upper ends, while other members 46 which areradiating fins also come to this same point and are extended therefromso as to direct the opening of the bag along the lines of these fins.

From the above, it will be apparent that the invention may take variousforms, all of which are operative for the desired results.

I claim:

1. In a hopper having a support, a bag opener mounted on said support,said bag opener comprising a multisided pyramidal member having anupstanding point, at least two radial fins attached to said member, saidfinsnaving oblique cuttingedges radiating downwardly approximately from.said point. a

2. A bag opener as in claim 1 wherein the member has a plurality of flatsides of triangular shape, one vertexof eachside being common with each'other;

3. A bag opener as in; claim whereinv the member: has a plurality of"flat: sides of" triangular shape, one. vertex ofi'each side= hei ng:commonwith each other, the. adjacent edges of thevertex' of each sidebeing joined. toua-nother side to-formcorners, and fins radiating firomisaid corners.

43A bagopene r' asin claim 1 whereinthe member has.

a plurality of flat sides of triangularshape; one vertex-v ofi eachsidebeing; common with each other and fins radiating from the centers:of two of the flat-sides 5; A bag openeras' inclaim '1 wherein the finsradiate from the eentralaxi's thereof passing, through the said poi-nt.Y 1

6. A bag opener as in claim 1 wherein the member is circular in crosssection. v 1

7-i A bag opener as in: claim 1 wherein themember is conical. 2

8-. A bag' opener as in claim- I wherein the member has three flat sidesof triangular shape, onevertex of each side being common with eaclrother.

9. A bag opener. as in claim I wherein the member I has a plurality offlat" sides of triangular shape, one

vertex of eachv side being common, with each other, the.

adjacent, edges of the, vertex of each side being joined to another sideto form corners and the, fins: being generally triangular and radiatingfrom said corners of the 5 pyramid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 56E489 Weidner July 21, 1896 2,206,984 V'ogt' July 9; 19.4. 2,251,587Gagner Aug.'5,. 19.41 2,306,426 Bondy: Dec. 29, i942 2,576,492 VogelNov. 27,; 19-51 FQREIGN PATENTS: I 19,033 Great; Britain Aug, 28,, 1896;

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